The Penn's Grove record., 1887-05-07

Soon a large crowd congregated to
witness he burning of the two engine
houses Of the Delaware River railroad
which were entirely consumed by the
flames ia half an hour. James Halter
first noticed the fire as he stood near
the fertilizer store house not far distant
lie ran to the double house and
saw Il bunch of waste in a blaze and
kicked it out but previously the flames
had caught on to the dry and greasy
side Of the building and spread in an
instant. Locomotive No. 3 was in the
house. Charles Raine, the fireman who
lives only 100 yards distant in the near
est house went in and opened the throt-
tie but the banked fire had not made
enough steam to move 1t. 1t was only
"A few minutes before the fire enyeloped
the double house and all hopes OF get
ling the locomotive out was cut off.
The locomotive which was value at
about $500 was ruined.
The larger building fell toward the
coal bins and soon they We're on fire
The ties on the turn table also caught
fire but by tile energetic efforts of a
few public spirited citizens the ire was
driven back with water carried from
a sluce race a few feet distant. Jos.
G. French brought out his small lire
eXtinguisIer and worked it for an hour
with a royal will, he being the most
Wntiriug worker there. Some OF the
planks on the turn table and on the
coal bins were partly burned before Tie
fire was driven back. Had tie wood
en part Of the turn table been allowed
to burn tie table would have been ruin
ed. Aud had the coal been allowed to
burn the Ere would have caught to the
greasy ties next the bin and soon run
up to the station. Fortunately the
wind wa blowing from the west as no
houses were near tie burning buildings
to catch fire. If The wind had been
in other directions the fire might have
done further damage. The cause OF
the ire is not positively known but
there is strong suspicion that a boy OF
boys started tie fire either accidentally
or purposely as there were some about
the building all day and Mr.. Ha7er and
"a H.. ,..,. $500. 4.N No.. R.ttHa a NN-a
But few Of the frame posts of the
buildings remained. The total loss
will be about 5000. and will be near
ly covered by Insurance. The loc0mo-
tive burned WAS the Oldest one on the
road but had been recently repaired
and was in good order. Superinten-
dent Z. II. Green arrived on the scene
OH Monday morning and had workmen
to clear away the debris The coal
bins have been repaired during the
week. On Monday morning the 7.05
train left on time but as locomotive
No. , is being repaired the $40 train
did not leave until after 10 O'Clock
until locomotive No. IA of the w. j.
road arrived.
On Friday morning between Z and 5
O'Clock the two large barns and a crib
house Oh Josiah NJ. Bricks farm, on
which his son Edward G., lives, alb )ut
a mile and a half from P~ennsgroye,
were burned down. The fire startedN
about quarter to seven at the corner
of the old barn in shich it is said no
one had been for sometime. When ii
started all the men were at Pennsgroye
or in a field at work not far dist ant
but owing to the foggy weather the
fire could not be seen far. The women
in the house fist saw il ana attempted
to put it out but it s0on spread ana
enveloped the adjoining buildings. All
the stock was out, either in the ield OF
at work. Besides the buildings a few
tons of hay, some harness, grain, and
several hundred dollars worth OF farm
ing machinery were destroyed, also
Mr.. Bricks buggy.
None of these could be saved by the
time help arrived so attention was
turned 20 save the house, which was
done, as the wind was blowing favor
ably from the east. All the goods
were taken out Of the house and carried
across the road. How the fire started
is unknown. The loss will amount to
about So, 900. The buildings were in
suled but the grain, hay and farming
implements were not.